MAISHA: A LIFE SHORT-LIVED

ONLOOKER

Maisha is born

Laina sat on the sofa, listening to her favorite radio program which aired every day in the evening, on her portable FM radio that she carried everywhere. Darkness was approaching, and the chickens were already in their coop. It was Laina's wifely duty to lock them up every evening, as her husband took care of milking their two Friesian cows. As a routine, she stood up heading to the nest but as she made her third step towards the door, her water suddenly broke. She was confused but stood still, shocked. The time had come.

“Stanley! Stanley! Help me,” she called.

This sounding urgent, her husband left the milking jars with the cows and came running.

“What is the matter, my dear? Your scream terrified me.”

“You'd better be terrified. My water just broke. I think the baby is almost here.”

“Right now?”

“What do you mean right now, I just told you that the water broke and that's all you can say? I can't believe you.”

“I'm so sorry dear, it's just that I didn't expect it to be now,” Stanley tried to calm his anxious wife, not forgetting how scared he was.

“Let me go fetch one of my sisters to keep you company just in case the labor pain starts, as I go fetch the midwife,” Stanley proposed.

“No, I'd rather stay alone and wait for you. I don't need any of your bloodline giving me more stress than I already have.”

“You can't risk it at this moment, Laina, leaving you alone would be more dangerous,” Stanley tried to convince her.

“Okay, bring your last born sister; she's a bit bearable.”

Stanley just nodded in agreement and rushed out at jet speed.

His mother's house was a few yards away. He found her and his sisters in the kitchen preparing supper.

“Mother, I need your help. Laina is about to give birth and she's all alone. Please send one of my sisters to keep her company, as I go fetch the midwife.”

“So now you want my help after telling me to leave your wife alone?”

“No mother, it's urgent. Let one of them go then we shall sort out our differences later,” Stanley pleaded with his mother.

“None of my daughters is leaving this compound. I don't care what happens to your cursed wife or that unwanted child.”

“But mother, the child is my blood which makes it yours also.”

“They can both die for all I care,” his mother retorted.

Stanley's mother had never accepted this marriage. She hated Laina and her entire clan. This is because Stanley had married from a tribe that his family did not approve of.

Any efforts to convince her proved futile. Stanley didn't have any more time to waste, so he left. He rushed back to his house, and gave Laina the feedback which was met by an “I told you so.” He then hurriedly grabbed his torch and jacket. Laina's labor cramps had kicked in.

“Hold on a little longer my dear, I'll be right back,” Stanley said as he closed the door behind him.

The most competent midwife lived four kilometers from where they lived, thus getting her would take longer. Stanley opted for an apprentice midwife who lived close by. Close by wasn't that close. It would take him at least thirty minutes on his bicycle, one way.

This was the only way. Being newly married and this being his second chance of being a father, the experience made him anxious and a bit terrified. He cycled through the bushy trails bumping on the potholes, falling and getting up from the dirty waters that had accumulated there, until he arrived at the midwife's house. This hasty ride took him thirty-five minutes. Seeing Stanley, the apprentice didn't need further explanations.

Siana village being a not so large area, everyone knew everyone, and the midwife knew all her aspiring clients. She, therefore, took her readily packed working bag, a warm sweater, and positioned herself at the back seat of Stanley's bicycle, and then they cycled back.

Upon reaching home, Stanley guided the midwife to the sitting room where he had left Laina, but she wasn't there. He went straight to their bedroom shouting her name.

What met his gaze was overwhelming. Laina sat on the floor on a roughly spread leso exhausted and all sweaty. There was blood all around her. In her arms, she held their tiny baby.

Stanley was overjoyed and was struggling to fight back the tears that were already flowing. They were tears of joy.

“She couldn't wait for you to come back,” Laina said smiling, as she signaled the dumbfounded Stanley to hold the baby.

“You referred to her as she, is it a girl?” Laina nodded in agreement and Stanley smiled widely, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Hello dear daughter, I am your father.”

Stanley picked up the baby and held her tiny little fingers fighting back more tears.

He knew children were amazing, but he had never pictured this particular moment. This time it was a girl. A girl so tiny, yet she stole his entire heart at first sight. She looked so much like Laina, though the head was Stanley's.

“Thank you so much dear for giving me such a wonderful gift.”

Laina was too weak to respond and could only manage a faint smile. She had lost a lot of blood in the process. Stanley went back to the sitting room where he had left the midwife with the baby in his arms.

“She couldn't hold on any longer,” Stanley said, showing off his daughter.

“This is wonderful. To God be the glory,” the midwife thanked the heavens for safe delivery.

“Please stay for the night, you see I wouldn't know what to do if any emergencies came up. Also, I can't let you go by yourself at this time of the night.”

“It's okay, I'll stay,” the midwife replied with a smile. “I'll check up on her, and then help you prepare food. I presume she has lost a lot of blood. She needs to recover with healthy meals and lots of rest.”

“Thank you so much, you don't know what this means to me.”

The midwife took charge of cleaning up both Laina and her child. She also partly helped in the kitchen. After making sure that the patient had eaten well and breastfed the baby, she gave Laina some liquid potion meant to cleanse her stomach, and herbs to chew to ease the painful cramps in her lower abdomen. It was already late by the time she was done caring for Laina and her child. She went ahead to sleep at the designated coach in the sitting room, and Stanley gave her a blanket.

Back in their bedroom, Laina didn't want to sleep just yet. She hadn't had enough of her baby. Stanley took the child from her so that she could get some rest.

“Have you thought of a name yet?” Stanley asked.

“Yes dear, she is Maisha. She has given me life and more reasons to live despite the challenges and the rejection that we've been facing.”

“Then Maisha it is,” Stanley couldn't agree more.

Laina took a nap as Stanley watched over little Maisha. She was life at its purest, and he was glad to guide her through every step of the way.